


all that i want is to wake up fine

by Purpledrapes



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Auguste (Captive Prince) Lives, Auguste in a wheelchair, Disabled Character, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Past Sexual Abuse, regent mcfuck face makes an appearance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-07 21:10:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12240648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Purpledrapes/pseuds/Purpledrapes
Summary: Damen could always meet him halfway when it came to communicating what he could never bring himself to say.But that isn't the case with everyone. When Laurent's hunting past pays a visit he'll need to learn to fill the void himself if he ever wants to be free.





	all that i want is to wake up fine

“Laurent, you’re being so predictable!”

“I’m being strategic, your plan is nothing but poorly thought out.” Laurent paused the game to turn in his seat and glare at Damen.

 “Sweetheart, winning this battle isn’t worth the loss of troops it’ll accumulate by waiting for the right moment. You’re here to win a _war_.”

 Smiling like that while arguing strategy was a low blow, Damen most know he couldn’t focus while he smiled like that.

“I’m taking in all tactical and strategical consideration in hand my dear simpleton.”  He replied tapping Damen on the cheek, “Victory can only be achieved through superior strategies and this plan needs patience to unfold.”

“The best strategy is to attack now while they least expect it, before they can surround you.” Damen leaned in closer as he spoke, thigh pressing against Laurent’s.

“My troops aren’t ready.” Laurent’s voice was low, “I have an excellent spot for some low-level reconnaissance, nothing will get out of hand on my watch. I know when to strike, I will not let my men die in vain.” The hand on Damen’s check moved to the back of his neck, pulling him in a little closer.

“Covert observation will only get you so far, risk is necessary in war, lives must be sacrificed.” Damen's head pressed against his, breath touching his lips as he spoke, inches away from...

“You know, I really hate to interrupt this frankly disturbing mating ritual of yours, but I may have a solution.” 

 They sprung apart to see that at some point, Auguste had wheeled into the living room, right beside the couch and was watching them with a disappointed expression, elbow on his armrest, palm on cheek.

 “Pray tell.” Laurent hoofed, more than a little annoyed at the interruption. Living with Auguste could sometimes be a test of will and while Laurent was always up for the challenge, interrupting him while he was about to get The Good Stuff honestly took him to his limits.

“First, sacrifice your weaker level troops, who you have a numerous supply of by the way, into a premature battle to assess the risk and possible traps before retreating and formulating a more thought out plan of attack.

“Yes, but-”

“And,” Auguste interrupted, already on point with Laurent’s train of thought. “in the same time, send your stronger more specialized troops to the weaker enemy’s territory for supplies and win over more troops so the lose can be alleviated. If all goes to plan, your numbers will not only match but hopefully surpass that of your enemy’s so you’ll be ready to strike at full force while they’re weakened.”

Damen and Laurent shared a begrudgingly impressed look.

“Well,” Laurent sighed, starting the game again, “I guess that works too.”  He settled back down into the couch with Damen’s arm around his shoulder.

“It’s alright babe,” Damen gave Laurent a reassuring squeeze, “I think your plan was good too.”

“And I admit, your own plan defiantly had a high chance of success, you can be so brilliantly strategic at times darling.”

“Well, you- “

Auguste interrupted by leaning forward to hit pause, “You know, I didn’t just come here to give brilliant gaming advice.” 

“Alright, what’s up Gus.”  Damen smiled, moving his hand from where he was running it through Laurent’s hair. The two had been dating for nearly eight months and Auguste noted that it didn’t look like their honeymoon phase was ending any time soon. It was as endearing as it was embarrassing.

“I just got off the phone with our uncle, he’s going to be staying over for a couple of days next week.”

The atmosphere in the room changed so abruptly and Auguste shouldn’t have been surprised when Laurent sat up from Damen’s hold, visible distraught.

“What the fuck? Why?” 

Auguste frowned, “Because he’s our uncle, Laurent. Family visits family.”

“To be completely honest, I’ve always been very questionable over idea to sudden family visits. What does he want?”  

Auguste had never really understood where Laurent’s distain for their uncle had come from. When Auguste had been hospitalized after the accident that had killed their parents, Uncle had been there to look after Laurent, and Auguste could never be more grateful for the way he had cared for Laurent and spoiled him as if he were his own son. They went on trips together and Uncle was always buying him gifts and books. Then, months after Auguste returned home, Laurent grew distant from Uncle and the hatred began.

Was it jealousy that Uncle had to give so much attention to Auguste after his injury? That he didn’t want Uncle to replace their father? Whatever the reason, Laurent’s behaviour towards Uncle always frustrated him to no end.

“Have you considered that maybe he just misses his only family? A concept I wouldn’t think you’d be unfamiliar to.”

Laurent’s expression hardened.

“Laurent, don’t be difficult, Uncle loves you.”

“Don’t.” Laurent snapped.

“He does! He only wants the best for you. He was so happy when I told him about Damen.” 

Said man, who had been silent throughout the discussion, was currently frowning at Laurent in confusion, Auguste couldn’t blame him.

“You told him about Damen!” He spat accusingly, Damen’s frown only deepened.

“Of course, I did. He was so pleased for you, in fact, Damen, he asked if you’d have dinner with us when he arrives? He’d love to get to know you.”

“Absolutely not.” Laurent said before Damen could respond.

“Um,” Damen looked clearly upset and moved his arm off Laurent’s shoulder, “What the hell?”

“You’re too busy to come over next week. You have that mini dissertation due.”

“I think I can make the time, thank you, and thank you for the invitation Auguste, I’d love to come.”

Laurent groaned, rubbing his hair aggressively before putting his face in his hands.

“Laurent, Uncle wants to see the person that makes you happy. Why is it so hard to believe he wants to see you happy?”

“My happiness is the least of his priorities.”

Convincing Laurent of anything was like talking to a wall. Or an impregnable fortress stationed with armed forces.

“Right, well,” He sensed that it was probably the wrong time to continue, but if anything, Auguste was persistent. “whether you like it or not, he’s coming. So, in terms of practicality, do you mind if Uncle uses your room while he’s here? I’d hate to make him sleep on the coach.”

Honestly, Auguste would have given up his own bed if not for his chronic back pains, if only to spare him from Laurent’s wrath.

As predicted, Laurent’s reaction was not the best of reactions.

“You want me to give him my bed?”, he replied, expression like thunder.

“Only for a few days.”

“I-…I can’t thing right now.” Laurent stood up abruptly, navigating around Auguste’s wheelchair to stump to his room. Auguste was expecting the door to bang close but the silence was surprisingly more foreboding.

Damen sighed deeply, leaning back on the couch, “As always, nicely handled bro.”

“Appreciate it Dames.”

 

* * *

 

It took longer than he expected to hear the knock on his door. But long enough for him to have controlled his breathing.

Auguste would never bother him so soon after an argument, but Damen never seemed to have the same self-perseverance as anyone.

Damen didn’t wait for Laurent to answer before opening the door and slipping in. Laurent shifted to make room on the cushioned windowsill without looking up. There wasn’t much space and Damen was barely sitting, mostly leaning at the edge of the seat. His large frame both a sinfully beautiful blessing and an inconvenience.

Laurent continued to stare out the window, and Damen thankfully allowed him this silence, only offering his hand in a question that was accepted. The touch grounding.

“I’m sorry,” Laurent finally said, “for speaking on your behalf that way Damen.”

Damen automatically matched Laurent’s soft tone, “I don’t have to come if you don’t want me to.”

“Auguste invited you, you can come if you please.”

“No, I let a moment of insecurity control me. I know you didn’t say what you did because you’re ashamed of me.”

Laurent screwed his expression, as if appalled by the very idea, clearly the thought had never crossed his mind.

“I don’t understand why, but I know this is something that upsets you,” he continues, “there’s possible more to your uncle than even Auguste knows.”

“Auguste is like you in many ways, he only sees the good in people.”

But unlike Auguste, Damen knew that even family had the ability to hurt you and the thought of Laurent’s uncle being a bad person wasn’t as a farfetched of a conclusion than it might have been for him before Kastor's betrayal.

“You want to keep me away from your uncle to protect me.”

Damen was again closer to the truth than Laurent was willing to admit. 

“To an extent. You think too highly of me Damen, I’m only looking to protect myself.”

He had to try twice before he could continue, mouth suddenly dry. “The thought that my uncle knows I'm with someone is…to know I let myself be with someone…”

_After what had been done to me_

“The way he’d look at me ... the things he’ll say…”

_...that I already know to be true about myself. The truths about me that I don’t want to acknowledge._

Damen’s jaw clenched and his eyes had an intensity that almost scared Laurent.

“He knows what happened to you.” Fact, not a question.

Laurent closed his eyes in admission. So, close to the truth it almost hurt, but Damen had never been hurt enough to ever naturally come close to this truth.

“He knows and he…” Damen continues, voice raising, lost in his horrible realization, panic and pain in his soft eyes, “he did nothing. He uses it against you? To hurt you?”

Laurent had spent most of his life, in particular his early adolescents, unwilling to express his true thoughts and feelings. But instead, helplessly pleading for someone to read his thoughts and fears off his silence. To know he was not alright without having to say it. To know there were something wrong. Desperately wanting someone to save him and never wanting anyone to see his pain in equal turns.  

He found himself growing resentful of the people around him, his teachers’, peers and even Auguste over not knowing. How could they not see he was dying? It was so bodily consuming that he thought it must have been so obvious to anyone. How can anyone around him just go about their lives when he was right there beside them bursting so loudly with hatred, loathing and a deep terrible secret, it must have been painted all over him.

But Damen saw past his silence and read the things he so desperately wanted to say and kept his secret so easily that it left Laurent terrified and exhilarated in one breath.

He didn’t know all the details but it was only a matter of time before Damen knew all of his dark and consuming secrets and Laurent didn’t know how he would react to being torn open and revealed in that way.

How would Auguste react If he ever knew? Horror, heartbreak, disgust. How would he see his relationship with Damen? Damaged flawed, incomprehensively-

“I’ll kill him.” Damen said with a conviction that pulled Laurent out of his spiral. 

“Auguste would never forgive you.”

“Auguste loves you more than your uncle. He will always be on your side, you need to trust that.”

“My trust in Auguste isn’t the problem.”

“Then trust yourself to be able to handle speaking about this. For Auguste to know what happened to you.”

Laurent shook his head with a sigh and looked out the window again, at his small cacti lining outside. Damen leaned in slowly and gentle pressed his head against Laurent’s shoulder, waiting for Laurent’s shifting position as permission to bury his head in space of his neck and wrap his arms around his waist in an embrace. Everything about Damen was gentle and soft, his touch was always kind.

“I want to support you when your uncle comes.”

“Without killing him?”

Damen hesitated and Laurent huffed in amusement before returning Damen’s embracing, stroking the head of curls resting on his shoulder.

“Without killing him. But you need someone on your side and I’m on your side Laurent, I’ll always be.”

“Well, whether your there in person or not won’t ultimately change the fact he knows I’m dating.”

“So, you’ll let me come?”

“You don’t need my permission, but yes, I think I’d like that.”

Damen lifted his head for a swift, soft (always so soft) kiss and gifted him with a small dimpled smile. Laurent stroked his check, knowing he’d be missing out on seeing that smile while his uncle was around.

“I need this visit to go as swiftly and smoothly as possible and it can only go that way if it follows my plan. You have to promise me, that not matter what my uncle says, no matter how upset I get…you will not react. I need you to promise me.”

“I don’t know how much I can keep that promise.”

“Can you promise to try?”

“That, I will promise you.”

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly just wanted to make this sweet and angst free Auguste lives au...why must it be this way. 
> 
> Next chapter: A blissful date, buff af damen showing some serious guns and the dickface himself makes an appearance


End file.
